hesitance
by gardevoir
Summary: And the anticipation is almost too much to bear.


GROANS LOUDLY AS I RELUCTANTLY REMEMBER WRITING THIS

don't... talk to me about this one

anyway this one is also a few years old, like early 2012ish bc it was after Skyward Sword came out {obviously}

... knock yourselves out I guess...

* * *

><p>The chirping of birds and the strum of a lyre wakes her peacefully, very nearly lulling her back to sleep. Just as she's about to flop back down after sitting up, the strumming stops.<p>

He's taken notice of her.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," he teases as she's always done to him, giving her a smile. He walks up to her, kneeling down by her bed mat.

It's as though the gesture warms her core; the sensation spreads throughout her body.

She shivers reflexively.

"Are you cold?" The smile fades and it's replaced with a worried frown, eyebrows furrowing.

Zelda shakes her head and smirked at him in return. "What's on the agenda for today?" Ever since her decision to stay below the clouds, they've been building their own home. They often go between Skyloft and the surface world to obtain supplies and almost every day is exclusively spent constructing their establishment.

"Why don't we... take a break today?" Link speaks with his soft-as-usual voice, the one that makes her heart melt.

"I was thinking we could have... a... picnic."

Her eyes light up at the idea, she beams wide, and her expression completely brightens. "I'd like that."

He mirrors her grin, his own cerulean eyes shining, getting to his feet. "Great! … I packed ahead of time, actually." He rubs the back of his neck, his face flushing slightly as he sheepishly glances at her.

Sky blue eyes glint at his reaction and she stands up as well. "I guess that means I should get ready then, huh?" Her laugh chimes in the air and he watches her disappear behind the curtain separating their room from their bathroom.

Link's fingers slip and he plucks all the wrong strings, too focused on his embarrassment to notice.

ooo

Whether she's in her goddess gown or in her Skyloftian garments, he always catches himself staring at her.

For inappropriate amounts of time.

"Is something wrong?" she asks, tilting her head to the side with a slight frown. As she gives herself a glance over, he shakes his head quickly. "N-no! Everything's fine. You're fine."

Both freeze, one wondering what the _hell_ he'd just said, the other trying to decipher just _what_ he meant by that.

"Eh..." He rubs the back of his neck for the second time, smiling nervously at her. "I'll... go get the basket."

Though there's a noticeable tension in the air, they chat as they walk away from the Sealed Grounds. Zelda had decided to take the basket, so she swings the woven wood from side to side, the image of her holding it and beaming up at him as she spoke captivating him.

He's staring again.

"Link, are you sure there's nothing wrong?"

He stiffens and looks panicked for a second, quickly clearing his face. "There was an... octorok behind you," he lies quite terribly. Lying had never been his forte.

Her eyebrows knit and her face creases in concern for him, but she drops the subject.

An uncomfortable silence takes them for the rest of the walk into the Faron Woods.

Once they near the tree he'd had in mind for the event, he grabs onto the basket, bringing her along since she's still holding it. "Here." She looks around to see the sunlight breaking through the trees, tiny birds hopping around and chirping melodically, a light breeze ruffling the leaves, soothing her.

After he sets down the blanket, she sighs out of the amazement and wonder of it all, falling onto the blanket. "I never realized how beautiful these woods could be," she murmurs, her breath stolen by the glory of it all.

He grins, setting up all of the foods he'd packed. "Would you like to go to Floria Waterfall later?"

"I like the sound of that."

As they eat, they talk over their plans for the building, mentally mapping out what will go where and who will take what. "But I still want to continue sharing a room... if that's okay with you," she says, adding the last clause quickly. Before he had the chance to ask why, she adds, "I don't... like being alone anymore. Ever since my kidnapping... I've had nightmares about..."

When she closes her eyes tight and tenses, he reaches across and grabs her hand, holding it firmly. He had known the feeling she'd been experiencing; he always feels dread settle in the pit of his stomach whenever he'd thought of the nightmare he had that day the tornado had stolen her away.

The smile she receives calms her and she unwinds, returning the expression. "Thank you."

He nods once before letting go of her hand.

The warmth dissipates and they are left just a little bit colder.

ooo

They doze.

After folding up the sheet and putting the leftovers away, he sits up against the tree and she seats herself right next to him.

Clouds are watched, conversation is made, a lyre is strummed.

The sounds, sensations, and sights are far too lulling for her to stay awake.

Twang.

He plucks the wrong chord, partially because she bumps his shoulder, partially because of the startle.

He puts the lyre down and palms his face, staring off in the distance between his fingers, knowing his face was heating up a bit.

Sometimes he wonders if she intentionally makes things difficult.

Like that time at the cliff.

Or at the goddess statue.

"_Wonderful_ times," he mutters as he drops his hand, scowling.

With a ragged sigh, he rests his head against the bark of the tree, closing his eyes.

When Zelda awakens, she feels her cheek pressing against a solid but comfy figure, her vision bleary as she looks up at whatever she's next to. While rubbing her eyes and yawning, she's reminded of what she'd been doing before she'd fallen asleep.

Jumping to an upright position, she scoots away from him a bit, seeing he's still sleeping. She watches him rather intently, and, without being fully aware of it, she gently places her hand on his cheek, her hand lingering as she feels smooth skin underneath her palm. He stirs and she flinches, quickly removing her hand.

"Zelda?" he mumbles as he opens his eyes, his skin tingling as though someone had touched him. As his vision clears, he sees that she's sitting a few inches away from him.

"Awake enough for Floria Waterfal?" she taunts, smirking. He becomes more alert in seconds.

"Y-yeah, let's go."

He picks up their basket and puts away the lyre.

"... But let's take a stroll first."

ooo

As they trail deeper into the forest, they see the kikwis, laughing as the strange creatures become startled and camouflage themselves.

Link approaches Machi, the very first one he'd met, kneeling in front of him. "Long time, no see," he comments as the adorable little kikwi stands back up.

"Oh, it's you, kew kew! Did you ever find your friend, kew kew?"

He motions to Zelda, who then curtsies in response.

"It was _her_ that you were looking for, kew? Why didn't you say that before, kew kew?"

He stares for a moment before shaking his head. "Bucha knew where she was anyway, it's alright."

Standing back up, he and Zelda bid Machi farewell, continuing on their walk to visit the other kikwis. They see Bucha last.

"By the way, kew, I saw another one of you venturing around here, kewkew."

The pair exchange a look and she hesitates before she asks. "What color is his hair?"

"Red, kew. The front of it was up rather high as well, kew..."

They glance at each other again, both appearing to be a little distressed.

They'd forgotten that Groose lives in the Sealed Grounds with them.

"I think it'd be in our best interests to avoid him and his pompadour..."

Link nods in agreement and they take their leave from the great elder, stressing over their new dilemma.

Who knows the kinds of things he would say upon seeing them together like this?

He would probably think of it as a...

"Date, huh? Without the Great Groose? Seems pretty serious." He grins stupidly, quickly catching on to their situation... or, at least, what he_thinks_ their situation is.

The sound of his voice and his sudden arrival causes the both of them to stop in their tracks in shock, though it had almost come as no surprise at all.

It was only a matter of time before the person one kept mentioning would appear.

She cringes and scowls at her boots while he sighs in defeat.

He goes up to blond, hooking his arm around his neck and dragging him away from Zelda. "So, you're finally making a move on her? It's about time."

He grunts and tries to escape the headlock but comes up short, merely entrapping himself further.

"But you're not doing it right at all. I mean, look at your hair! How do you expect to swoon her looking like _that_?"

He grabs his bangs and begins to spike it up, much to the hero's dismay. His spew of "wisdom" doesn't cease either.

She watches as words are muttered, with the redhead glancing back at her every so often, growing skeptical of him as he peers at her from over his shoulder. She can't imagine what they're discussing, but she also figures she wouldn't want to know for her own safety.

She wonders how Link ever manages to withstand him.

Her patience wears thin rather quickly.

Like it had done now.

"Groose!" the goddess incarnate shouts apprehensively, her hands at her waist. "Let go of him!" She has that glare about her again and he knows to let go right away.

The goddess' chosen one rubs his neck and coughs a few times, patting down his hair. "We're not on a date and I'm really not trying to impress her," he mutters, shaking his head. "What are you doing in the woods anyhow?"

"Making adjustments to my Groosenator, of course. Demise may be at bay, but who knows what else might come by?"

He had a very good point there.

Chuckling, he walks back to Zelda.

"Wait, before you go," she sighs tiredly while he simply turns on his heel, "got anything left in the basket?"

He tosses it, the buffoon easily catching it. "Try to bring it back intact."

His pompadour nods in agreement, walking away as well, but in the opposite direction.

But before they go, he calls out to the hero.

"Hey, Link!" He turns around once again upon hearing his name. "Remember what I told you!" A finger rubs the bottom of his nose, chuckling in that goofy way of his.

The blonde catches her childhood friend quickly turning, striding away without her. She jogs to catch up with him, her brow creasing in question. "What did he tell you?"

"... You're better off not knowing."

The inquiry is still in her mind, but she chooses not to pursue it.

On their way to Floria Waterfall, Link takes them through a shortcut, climbing up the log and pulling himself up over the ledge. He then turns around, holding his hands out for her. She stares at the log, then the ledge he's just scaled, then his hand, knowing it was next to impossible for her to do the same. "Err, Link..."

"Don't worry, I've got you. Just stand on the log and I'll pull you up." He smiles reassuringly at her and waves his hands a little, beckoning her.

Zelda hesitates before taking a step forward, tentatively stepping onto the log and reaching for his hands. She slips but he reacts instantaneously, one hand holding hers while the other holds her waist. In her slightly panicked scramble to not fall, she grasps his hand for dear life, the other finding purchase on his arm.

He pulls her up with a grunt, noticing that she was a bit shaky from that scare. "You're alright now, yeah?"

She nods slowly, getting up with him as he stands.

He's still holding her hand and the other slides to the small of her back. With a sympathetic smile, he leads her along like that, the smallest of blushes creeping onto her cheeks. "You won't have to climb anything like that anymore, I promise. The waterfall's just up the path here."

She glances up at his expression pensively and she can't help but smile a little as well.

They pad down the worn trail to the waterfall, able to hear the rush of it before it had come into view. When it comes into her vision, she gasps sharply, azure eyes widening. The cleared sky reflects gracefully on the surface of the water, the waves glimmering as they lap against the brick platform.

Letting go of his hand, she runs toward the edge of the platform, kicking off her boots and sitting down, dipping her feet into the water. "Link, this is absolutely breathtaking," she says quietly, as if anything louder than a murmur would ruin the imagery. He watches her for a moment, jumping on the opportunity to stare at her unguarded.

He whispers something incoherently under his breath, joining her at the lakeside.

Once his own boots had come off and he'd seated himself next to her, she glances at him out of the corner of her eye, the side of her mouth lifting. "Thank you."

He nods and laughs a little, silently, reveling in her gratitude.

They sit in harmonic silence for some time, the girl swinging her legs back and forth in the water while the boy stays still with his hands folding in his lap.

Then suddenly.

"Agh!"

Splash.

Snicker.

His shout and her chortle pierce the quiet, Zelda watching as Link surfaces and shakes the water out of his hair.

It's in this moment when he gives her a playfully predatory gaze and he swims toward her that she realizes his intentions.

Before she can scramble to her feet, his hand latches onto her leg and she's yanked into the water.

She screams before she sinks under, shrieking with laughter upon surfacing. She swims away from him, backwards, so she can splash him as she does so.

He sputters and wipes the excess water from his face, returning the gesture.

Their water fight goes on for a good while until Link comes to the conclusion that she's bested him. "You win, you win!" He puts his hands up to defend himself from her perpetual onslaught.

"What was that? I didn't quite catch it."

"_You win_!"

Once she stops, she throws her hands up in victory and cheers, beaming at him.

She doesn't notice he's swimming toward her up until he's about a foot away. As she tries to read his expression, she finds that it's unidentifiable; he's masked his feelings quite well. When he doesn't stop and she's forced to back away, she grows concerned, trying to figure out just what is going on. "Uhm, L-Link...?"

Her back hits stone and she panics a little.

Once he has her cornered, he puts his hands on either side of her arms, gripping the edge of the platform. She tenses, eyes now wide with anxiety rather than the amazement they'd been filled with mere moments ago.

"C-Can I... Can I kiss you?"

Time freezes, sounds fade, and the whole world just falls away.

The manner in which he asks is so gentle and quiet, but bearing more power than one would think, and she can feel his hesitance.

The absurdity of the situation is so surreal to her, she's almost certain she's dreaming; if the ragged corner of stone hadn't been digging into her back, she might have thought she'd made all of this up.

Because it wouldn't be the first time she's created a fantasy in her mind.

There hadn't been a great many things that scared him.

Skulltulas? Please.

Deku and Quad Babas? Yawn.

A homicidal, sadistic spirit and his wielder? A cinch.

But he'd never been more terrified in his life than at these very seconds in time, waiting for her reply. Though time had paused for her, it had seemed to stretch on for all eternity for him, leaving him to think hard about the words that had just left his mouth.

He watches with patient torture as she considers his question, sensing her hesitance as she parts her lips to speak.

"... Yes," she speaks at last.

And the reaction is almost immediate.

His lips crash onto hers and she's reaching or him, her arms wrapping around his neck. Unaware of his own actions, it doesn't register that he's pressing himself against her.

And it doesn't occur to her that she'd doing precisely the same.

When their kiss breaks, they stare at each other, both breathing quick and shallow.

No words are exchanged.

They aren't necessary.

He takes a hold of her waist and lifts her out of the water, leaving her perched on the platform. He then lifts himself out as well, leaning down as he kneels in front of her. He places his hand gently on her stomach, coaxing her to lie down as he softly pushes her.

She complies and he's straddling her waist, his hands on either side of her head.

Mouths meet, tongues touch, skin simmers.

Cummerbunds become cumbersome.

Belts are now a bother.

Tights are too much trouble and panties become a pain.

He puts a knee between her legs to keep them from closing. His hand traces the outline of her breast, her ribs, her waist, her thigh, before they pull up the skirt of her dress.

She whimpers softly under his hand; a moan escapes her lips.

As his teeth graze over the crook of her neck, he can hear her panting in his ear.

Shirts are just silly.

Pants become pestering.

Once his ministrations stop, she grabs the back of his head, emotions raw and real as they return into a hot and heavy embrace.

It's nearly too much to comprehend, much less believe, that one would have the other all to one's self, that that being would even want them.

It's almost too good to be true.

_Almost_.

As he slides the last of his undergarments off, she reaches behind herself to unhook her bra.

Though she can't do anything but look away abashedly at the moment, he finds himself staring at her once again. He had to touch her, had to run his hand along her creamy, flawless skin to make sure everything up to this point had been true, had been real. She shudders from his touch and it's delightful, euphoric, even though she's a bit frightened, a little afraid.

She gathers the courage to face him, to stare back at him as they are now exposed to one another. His figure doesn't go unnoticed, her eyes tracing the various battle scars he had obtained from his extensive journey, the defined muscles he earned from the strenuous work.

A silence befalls them but it is not an uncomfortable one like the many before it.

Her sharp gasp breaks it, the cause being his hands as he spreads her legs apart further.

She holds her breath in anticipation and he notices. "Breathe," he whispers in her ear, and she exhales, attempting and succeeding in not duplicating the action.

She cries out, her nails scratching the marble, an arm draping over her eyes.

Butterfly kisses flutter all over her skin as he murmurs sincere apologies and sweet nothings to her, both bodies at a standstill.

When she uncovers her eyes, he can see that tears have pricked them, the strays left over. He kisses her lips briefly before he kisses her forehead, wiping under her eyes with his thumbs.

Her arms snake around his neck and she nods once.

His movements are languid; she's gasping, he's groaning, the sensations are overwhelming.

And she's just alluring, so alluring.

One set of fingers tug at his hair, the other raking at his back, clawing, clinging, clutching.

And he's just enticing, so enticing.

As he moves faster, she holds to him tighter.

As he thrusts harder, she calls his name.

Kisses are hardly enough to quiet her.

His release comes first, hissing her name through his clenched jaw, his hands becoming fists on either side of her waist.

She reaches her peak soon after, toes curling as her nails leave striking scarlet streaks and quarter-moon imprints on his skin.

They hear nothing but the sound of their own panting as they learn to breathe normally again.

* * *

><p><strong><span>e<span>****p****ilo****g****ue**

"Jump down!"

"... I really don't think I want to!"

"Trust me. I'll catch you. I promise."

Zelda makes a noise of uncertainty before she takes a few steps back, throwing herself off of the ledge, jumping just far enough to narrowly avoid that damned log.

He catches her and twirls with her from the momentum, laughing as she laughs with him.

Once Link sets her down, he finds that she's still holding onto him, the front of his shirt gathered in her palms.

"Thank you. For this. For everything."

* * *

><p><strong><em>author's notes<em>**

**_Me:_**  
><em>hey guess what<em>  
><em>they're now having sexy time<em>  
><em>:v<em>

**_Nayela:_**_  
>almost there<em>

**Me:**  
>..<strong>.<strong>  
>-snickers-<p>

The picture drawn for me that this fic is based on can be foundon my profile.

Thank you for reading.

**Usual disclaimers apply.**


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